Project description:This study aimed to investigate the systemic immunological effects of kimchi consumption in humans. We conducted a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving thirteen overweight but otherwise healthy adults who consumed either placebo, spontaneously fermented kimchi (S-K), or starter kimchi fermented with Leuconostoc mesenteroides KCKM0828 (LMS-K). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected before and after the intervention and subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile immune responses at single-cell resolution.
Project description:The pharmacological significance of B vitamins, essential for various metabolic processes, and the therapeutic potential of probiotics in gastrointestinal health have been well-documented. However, the interactions between these entities remain poorly understood. In this study, we endeavored to elucidate the potential interplay between B vitamins and probiotics utilizing liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, pharmacokinetic modeling, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Employing healthy and pseudo-germ-free rat models, we revealed that probiotics significantly improve the absorption of B1, B3, B5, and B12, and that the gut microbiota played a mediating role in this enhanced absorption of B vitamins by probiotics. High-throughput genetic sequencing uncovered a synergistic effect of B vitamins and probiotics in modulating the gut microbiota, particularly increasing the abundance of Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated that probiotics used in this study had a relatively minor influence on the production and permeability of B vitamins, while B vitamins did not significantly contribute to the growth, auto-aggregation, and adhesion of probiotics. In summary, a complex network connection exists between B vitamins and probiotics, wherein the gut microbiota emerges as a pivotal factor that cannot be overlooked.
Project description:A huge number of microorganisms are colonized in human gut and the balance of their composition is closely related to human health. Recently, many probiotics such as bifidobacteria or lactobacilli have been introduced in our life as effective agents. However, we have not well understood their beneficial mechanisms including host-bacterial crosstalk. Accordingly, we took advantage of the protective mechanisms of probiotics against lethal infection of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in murine gnotobiote model system